UEFA’s financial clamp down affects transfer window

The 70% fall in spending to £60million during the January transfer window, according to football finance experts, was the result of UEFA's new financial fair play rules.

Last year’s January transfer window saw £225m spent.

"After last year's bout of big-money transfers that drove the record total spend of £225million, January 2012 has seen a more sober level of spending amongst Premier League clubs," said Dan Jones, a partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group.

"In the decade since the introduction of transfer windows, January has typically been a relatively quiet window with total spending driven by a few high-value transfers, as was certainly the case with the chain of events on last year's deadline day.

"The £60million spent in January 2012 is back to a similar level as the January windows in 2004 to 2007, and still ahead of the investment in players by top-division clubs in other European leagues."

Jones added: "As clubs are now in the reporting period that will count towards the first assessment for UEFA's financial fair play break-even requirement, their comparative restraint is indicative of an overriding reflection on spending levels.

"The focus on football's future financial sustainability is more prevalent in Europe than at any time in the past 20 years and, going forward, we remain keen to see that translated into a better balance between revenue and expenditure."

 
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